All Rise...

Editor's Note

The Charge

"I love my son."—Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer

Opening Statement

In a 1996 edition of the L.A. Times, experts predicted that nearly
half off all marriages would end in divorce. This is a pretty sobering fact for
couples hoping for true and lasting love. Most of us strive for a relationship
built on a solid foundation, often finding that work, relationships or other
vices take control of our lives. In the wake of this fact marriages are
shattered and families torn apart. Such is the case in the 1979 drama Kramer
vs. Kramer. Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best
Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, Kramer vs. Kramer went on to become a
hit at the box office and a critical darling. Starring Dustin Hoffman (Hook, Wag The Dog) and Meryl Streep
(Postcards From The Edge, Death Becomes Her) as sparring,
disillusioned parents, Kramer vs. Kramer dukes it out on DVD care of
Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment.

Facts of the Case

Ben Kramer (Hoffman) thinks he has a well-adjusted life. Devoted to his work,
Ben is at the top of his game at an ad agency in New York City. He thinks his
home life with his wife Joanna (Streep) and son Billy (Justin Henry) is also
great—until Joanna informs Ben that she's leaving him and abandoning her
son to go and "find herself." Confused and hurt, Ben is now forced to
live a new life as a single parent with difficult responsibilities. Though Ben
is far from perfect, he attempts to find a successful balance between his
professional life and his home life.

Through ups and downs, Ben and his son find that their new way of life is
not easy. Soon Ben's work suffers as he begins to devote more and more time to
Billy's upbringing. Finally thinking that he may be doing things right, Ben
starts to get into the groove of single parenthood. This doesn't last long, as
after a year and a half Joanna returns home—and she wants custody of her
son. However, Ben is not ready to give Billy up—at least not without a
fight.

The Evidence

Much like Robert Redford's Ordinary
People (which would win Best Picture the year after Kramer vs.
Kramer), Kramer vs. Kramer is about a family in turmoil. In Redford's
film the tragedy was the loss of a child—in Kramer vs. Kramer it is
the loss of a marriage. I suspect that for many people who see this film (and
the thousands that already have), Kramer vs. Kramer is a hard movie to
watch. The dissolving of love and devotion is a hard story to sit through. So
much of our pain comes from the fact that we let others down, and sometimes they
let us down. Kramer vs. Kramer balances this idea in a different scale.
Most divorce/custody films deal with the mother gaining custody of her child
after the father's abandonment. Kramer vs. Kramer asks the question
"what if it were the father who had to raise the child?" This may not
be the newest concept, but back in 1979 audiences had never seen a film dealing
with this subject matter (in fact, the subject of divorce was scarcely present
in most movies back then).

Director/writer Robert Benton (The Late
Show, Nobody's Fool) handles
everything with a touch of humor and realism that makes the story stand out
among other "families in crisis" films. Kramer vs. Kramer is
based on the book by Avery Corman and written for the screen with sensitivity by
Benton. Benton seems to understand the characters and lets there be a free flow
of dialogue that feels very smooth and natural. Dustin Hoffman was in the middle
of a divorce during the course of Kramer vs. Kramer, and this in turn
brings a bit more feeling to his role.

The performances in Kramer vs. Kramer are what drive the story to
great drama. Both Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep won Academy Awards for their
portrayals of the dueling Kramer's. Streep plays a woman who has grown cold and
distant from the family she once loved. Like many women, her troubles may lie in
that she married too young; or, as she states, the fact that Ben's love of his
work is what dominates his life, not his love for his wife and child. Her
assertiveness to leave is a sad fact among many married couples today—they
don't feel like working things out. On the flipside of that coin, Ben seems
blinded to Joanna's needs and feelings. His world revolves around making it to
the top of the corporate ladder. Even when Joanna is trying to tell Ben she's
leaving him, his reaction is for her to wait one minute while he finishes up a
task brought home from the office.

Kramer vs. Kramer doesn't try to answer all the questions it asks.
Instead, it attempts to look at what's best for the one person that matters the
most: the child. In the war of bitter divorce, that can be the one thing that is
often overlooked. Hoffman's character slowly comes to the realization that the
important thing in life is not money or work, but the seeds you sow at home.
Streep's character also slowly comes to that realization, or does she? The film
focuses mostly on Hoffman's character, showing Joanna in a more ambiguous light.
She says she wants to be with her son, but what mother would pick up and leave
without so much as a fight?

Hoffman was very deserving of the Oscar he won for his role as Ben, though
I'm not so sure the same can be said about Streep's Oscar. Streep is very good
as Joanna, though she's off-screen so much that her character almost seems to be
even lower than supporting. Dustin Hoffman shows why he is considered one of the
best actors in Hollywood; he commands the screen with energy to spare. For all
intents and purposes, Kramer vs. Kramer is his show—and a very good
one at that.

Kramer vs. Kramer is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The
picture looks very good for its age with only minimal defects. There was a tad
bit of grain detected in the image, and only a slight amount of edge
enhancement. Overall I was fairly impressed with Columbia's work on this title.
Colors were solid and very natural, blacks deep and solid.

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital Mono 1.0 in both French and English.
This was the original presentation in 1979, and I have to say that although a
5.1 mix would have been nice, it really isn't needed for a film like Kramer
vs. Kramer. Since this is a dramatic story that is basically dialogue
driven, the 1.0 track fits the bill. Dialogue, effects and music were all mixed
evenly with no hiss or distortion present. Also included are subtitles in
English, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Thai, and Korean.

Unfortunately, Kramer vs. Kramer doesn't include many extra features.
However, what Kramer vs. Kramer does include is one extra special
feature: an exclusive documentary titled Finding the Truth: The Making of
"Kramer vs. Kramer". This documentary runs about 50 minutes and
includes newly shot interviews with Dustin Hoffman, director Robert Benton,
producer Stanley R. Jaffe, Meryl Streep, child actor Justin Henry, and many
more. I'll tell you something, if you're looking for a definitive inside look at
Kramer vs. Kramer, this documentary is it. Comprehensive to say the
least, Finding the Truth: The Making of "Kramer vs. Kramer"
looks at how the script came about, how the casting decisions were made, and
what it was like to be part of this acclaimed film. I found this to be a very
enjoyable feature, and well worth my time.

Also included are some filmographies on the principle cast and crew, as well
as theatrical trailers for Kramer vs. Kramer, plus two other Dustin
Hoffman films, Hook and Hero.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Kramer vs. Kramer sometimes retains a "movie of the week"
quality that tends to make you think of every Monday Night Movie you've ever
seen. However, keep in mind that Kramer vs. Kramer was there first, and
did it better.

Otherwise, this is a sharply poignant film about the trials and tribulations
of being a single parent and having no clue how to fix French toast.

Closing Statement

For around $20, Kramer vs. Kramer is worth the money if you're a fan
of the film, of if you feel the need to own as many Best Picture winners as you
can on DVD. I wasn't expecting to like Kramer vs. Kramer as much as I
did, and Hoffman and Streep's performances are stunning with excellent writing
by Robert Benton. With a decent transfer, average audio and one good supplement,
Kramer vs. Kramer is at the very least worth a rental.

The Verdict

Columbia is slapped with a minor fine for supplying us with only a scant few
extra features, though let off on good behavior for putting out a very moving
film.